There were times when I thought there were more important things in life. There were family and friends alike, and then there was the code and virtue. The ones I and my team followed so strongly that we would do anything to achieve our goal.

The happy days...

But in the long run, when everything goes horribly wrong, you’ll realize that those people who you think values your existence would simply throw you away like an old used rag. Not only that, you’d soon realize that the code you follow were just a bunch of self satisfying lies that are imposed by superiors. In reality, you’re just a tool that soon becomes trash. When everything else fails, there’s no one left to turn too.

That is of course with the exception of money.

Money unlike people doesn’t judge you for who you are. It can get you into places and give you what you want? A temporary home, food and drinks, medicine, temporary friends and even temporary lovers; there was no real limit to what money can buy...or is there?

I wasn’t exactly the kind to care for others. I had too little money to live by anyways, that’s why I can’t understand why I’m here in this crappy little cramped motel room with a young child of about five. Right now she was simply sleeping soundly. Her clothes were dirty and partly ripped. She looked frail with a pale complexion. Her hair was messed up as she comfortably shifted in the stiff mattress that was a crappy excuse for the bed, but she still looked so adorable nonetheless. If I could compare her to something, I’d say she’d be a worn out porcelain doll. If I tried selling her to the black market, I’d definitely earn a lot of cash, but I think I held back for some reason. That reason though, I had no idea off. She could have been easy money too. Then again, I had no idea why I took her with me in the first place. It’s not like she was anything special.

As I looked at her like that, I could remember how she was staggering by the market, begging for some money. Like hell anyone would spare her any change. People just passed by the hungry-looking child without a care. I did the same only to find out that she had started to follow me. Of all the people, why did she decide to follow me?

At that time, people were looking at me strangely as well. I couldn’t care. Although I would have liked to knock their heads off their necks as they stared on. My mask was placed properly over my face while my hair messily draped along my shoulders. I had no cloak with me at that time as well due to my old one being too worn out to even be worn. The stitches along my skin showed. The black lines slightly above my wrist showed as well. There were too many stitches on me that surely I didn’t appear human. It’s not like I cared. But I glared back at them slightly, just to let them know that their gawking was pissing me off. They turned away. My eyes must have scared them to some extent. People never did find my eyes normal, but it didn’t matter. It’s not like they can do anything about it anyway.

For a moment, I stopped to buy an apple. I didn’t have much money on me, since I had no luck with the bounty hunting. It pains me to even let go of these few pieces of shimmering coins. But then again, even cheapskates had to eat. As I picked one juicy large apple, something latched onto my leg. When I looked down, it was the child.

Annoying.

I shook my feet and commanded her to let go. She did not comply; instead she merely latched on even tighter. A small grunt left my partly stitched but masked lips, she was rather persistent.

“Let go.”

I spoke again, trying to be patient, but to no avail it was not working. Trying not to work up a nerve, I plucked her from my leg and raised her up by clutching onto her tattered shirt’s back collar much like one would do while picking up a cat. Her large doe eyes simply stared at my deep lime emerald ones, seemingly unafraid. Just as I was to tell her off, she did something quite unexpected. The little pest reached out her hands with a smile, seemingly wanting to grope my head.

“Doll! doll! doll! Giant talking doll!”

So that’s why she had been following me. Because of my stitches, I might have looked like a rather big ragdoll to the young girl. It kind of made me want to smile, but my lips were so stiff that it couldn’t be afforded.

There was a little stirring on the bed as the young girl buried herself in the semi clean sheets. She really looked adorable when she was sleeping. Actually after I brought her here and shared that apple with her, she instantly fell asleep. Must be tired from all the walking around she had done prior to our unexpected meeting. Still, she really looked like a doll while sleeping. Perhaps cuteness can’t be bought. After all, she did come for free.